U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos concludes her remarks to Education Department staff on her first day on the job in Washington, U.S., February 8, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY[/caption] Three federal appeals court judges decided to maintain the block on President Donald Trump’s travel ban Thursday. After hearing arguments, the judges from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled against reinstating the ban. The president responded to the ruling on Twitter, saying: “See you in court, the security of our nation is at stake!” Earlier in the week Trump told a Fox News interviewer that he respected Russian President Vladimir Putin despite him being an alleged “killer.” He seemed to compare the U.S. with Russia when defending his viewpoint, telling Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly, “What, you think our country’s so innocent?” Senator Elizabeth Warren was silenced by Republicans Tuesday for reading from a 30-year-old letter written by Martin Luther King’s widow Coretta Scott King. They argued Warren broke Senate rules as she read the letter that criticized attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions‘ civil rights record. Democrats offered their support to Warren, with many taking to social media to express their dismay at Republicans. Also in Congress on Tuesday, Betsy DeVos was confirmed as Education Secretary after Vice President Mike Pence cast a historic tie-breaking vote, leading to a 51-50 majority. Read more about these stories and the other biggest news of the week, as it appeared in this week’s Daily Edition. 1. Federal appeals court rules 3 to 0 against Trump on travel ban—The Washington Post, Matt Zapotosky Top line: “In a unanimous 29-page opinion, three judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit flatly rejected the government’s argument that suspension of the order should be lifted immediately for national security reasons, and they forcefully asserted their ability to serve as a check on the president’s power.” Topic to follow: Donald Trump 2. Trump, Asked Again About Putin, Suggests U.S. Isn’t ‘So Innocent’—The New York Times, Christopher Mele Top line: “Mr. Trump has long expressed his admiration for the Russian leader’s strength. But his willingness to seemingly draw a moral equivalence to actions by Mr. Putin, who has brutally suppressed dissent by eliminating political enemies, led to an eruption on social media.” Topic to follow: Vladimir Putin 3. Warren Silenced for Reading Coretta Scott King Letter at Sessions Debate—NBC News, Leigh Ann Caldwell, Frank Thorp V and Andrew Rafferty Top line: “Senate Republicans voted to rebuke Warren after she read from a letter that Coretta Scott King wrote criticizing Sessions, a Republican senator from Alabama, who was confirmed Wednesday night as attorney general. The 1986 letter, written when Sessions — then the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Alabama — was being considered for a federal judgeship.” Topic to follow: Elizabeth Warren 4. Betsy DeVos Confirmed As Education Secretary—NPR, Anya Kamenetz Top line: “The 59-year-old philanthropist and activist from Michigan takes over the leadership and management of a federal bureaucracy with 4,400 employees and a $68 billion annual budget.” Topic to follow: Betsy DeVos 5. Donald Trump White House warns Iran ‘there’s a new president in town’—The Telegraph, Nick Allen and David Lawler Top line: “Diplomatic tensions were ratcheted up after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made his first public speech since President Donald Trump’s inauguration.” Topic to follow: Iran 6. Afghanistan avalanches death toll passes 135—The Guardian, Agence France-Presse Top line: “The series of avalanches over the weekend destroyed dozens of homes and killed livestock, mostly in central and northern provinces. Unusually, snow also fell in the southern province of Kandahar. The updated tolls from Nuristan and Badakhshan brought the number of deaths across the country to at least 137 by Monday, though authorities were due to update the figures later.” Topic to follow: Afghanistan 7. Patriots complete biggest comeback in Super Bowl history, win fifth title—CNN, Jill Martin Top line: “For the first time, a Super Bowl needed overtime, and for the fifth time, the New England Patriots are Super Bowl champions. This time, it took the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history to do it, rallying from a 25-point deficit and defeating the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 at NRG Stadium in Houston in Super Bowl LI.” Topic to follow: Super Bowl 8. Amnesty says Syria executes, tortures thousands at prison; government denies—Reuters, John Davison and Stephanie Nebehay Top line: “The Syrian government executed up to 13,000 prisoners in mass hangings and carried out systematic torture at a military jail near Damascus, rights watchdog Amnesty International said on Tuesday.” Topic to follow: Syria 9. New Orleans Mayor: Half-mile wide tornado damaged 940 homes—Associated Press, Janet Mcconnaughey Top line: “New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said in a news release Wednesday that two people remain hospitalized, and that 78 people spent Tuesday night in a shelter, which remains open. His statement also said that two-thirds of the 10,400 Entergy customers who lost power have had their electricity restored — and the rest may have to wait up to 5 days before getting their lights back on.” Topic to follow: New Orleans 10. Colombia: Peace talks with ELN rebel group begin—BBC Top line: “Members of Colombia’s ELN left-wing rebel group and government negotiators have begun talks seeking to end more than five decades of conflict.” Topic to follow: Colombia ~JessE is reading Everything Design